Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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57. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the demographic review and need for school places in the Swords area; if, further to the parliamentary debate on 15 February 2017, he has brought to the attention of his Department the fact that children are being denied places for September 2017; if he is reviewing the enrolment figures as indicated; when a decision will be made on whether additional capacity is needed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10129/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, there are 13 primary schools serving the Swords school planning area.  My Department has been in direct contact with a number of these schools in respect of their junior infant capacity.  In that regard it is understood that at least one primary school is undersubscribed and has expressed a willingness to enroll further junior infants in September 2017, if necessary.  The school enrolment position for September 2017 will be clarified when the schools concerned have completed their enrolment process in the coming weeks.  As the Deputy will appreciate, it is important that school size is monitored and that a balance is preserved among all schools in school planning areas to ensure that one school is not expanding at the expense of another school.

While it is recognised that the schools in the Swords area are close to capacity, current enrolment trends indicate that there should be sufficient capacity in the existing schools for 2017.

My Department is monitoring the enrolment position in the Swords area closely. While the situation may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice, the Deputy will appreciate that my Department’s main responsibility is to ensure that the existing schools in the area can, between them, cater for the demand for junior infant places in September 2017.

My Department is currently in the process of completing demographic analyses nationwide which includes the Swords area.  This process is detailed and rigorous and will take some time to complete.  It is anticipated that provisional results of these analyses will be available for review in the coming months.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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58. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to increase urgently school places in the north fringe region of Dublin Bay North; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10330/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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For school planning purposes, the North Fringe Region of Dublin Bay North covers a number of school planning areas including the Donaghmede/Howth/Dublin13 and Darndale/Dublin17 areas in the main but also includes parts of the Beaumont/Coolock/Dublin5 and Portmarnock school planning areas.

These defined school planning areas facilitate the orderly planning of school provision and accommodation needs.  My Department uses a Geographical Information System (GIS) to identify where the pressure for school places will arise. The GIS uses data from the Central Statistics Office, Ordnance Survey Ireland and the Department of Social Protection, in addition to my Department’s own databases.  With this information, my Department carries out nationwide demographic analyses at primary and post-primary level to determine where additional school accommodation is needed.

On foot of the last nationwide demographic analyses, the establishment of thirteen new schools was announced, four new primary schools and nine new post-primary schools, to open in 2017 and 2018.  As part of this announcement, it was also stated that a range of areas nationwide are experiencing increased demographic pressure and will be kept under review by my Department including the North Fringe Region of Dublin Bay North.

My Department has approved new 16-classroom school buildings for two existing primary schools serving the Belmayne area, St Francis of Assisi National School and Belmayne Educate Together National School, which will shortly be progressed to tender.  Additionally, in October 2015, my Department provided a devolved grant to Scoil Bhríde Junior School, Donaghmede to build three new mainstream classrooms and in July 2016, provided a devolved grant to St Kevin’s Junior School to re-configure existing unoccupied rooms to create two mainstream classrooms for September 2016.

A review of capacity in the Darndale/Dublin 17 area indicates existing capacity in Our Lady Immaculate Senior and Junior Schools as enrolments have fallen by in both schools over the past 5 years.

My Department is not aware of any issues regarding capacity in the area as no other applications for additional accommodation have been received from the schools serving the area.